With the help of more than 100,000 firefighters across the county, in a tradition that began in 1954, MDA is “Giving Muscular Dystrophy the Boot.” The organization uses funds for research, care centers, to send kids with muscular dystrophy to summer camp, and to support local families facing the disease.

“For more than 60 years, Fill the Boot has been a strong firefighter tradition, giving families with muscular dystrophy in hometowns across America hope for the future and support for today,” according to firefighters.mda.org website.

Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass.

About one-third of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy — the most common form — don’t have a family history of the disease, possibly because the gene involved may be subject to sudden abnormal change — spontaneous mutation, according to the Mayo Clinic.

There’s no cure for muscular dystrophy, but medications and therapy can help manage symptoms and slow the progress of the disease.

“Firefighters have played a major role in funding research for muscular dystrophy and in the last year, three promising new drugs received FDA approval,” states firefighters.mda.org.